Here’s a definitive list of what to watch over the next few weeks if you really want to get into the spirit of things, according to Jenna.
Candyman (1992 and 2021)
Inspired by a real-life serial killer operating in the US in the 1970s as well as Clive Barker’s short story ‘The Forbidden’, Candyman (1992)is a classic horror film that will not disappoint. A white grad student learns of the myth of the ‘The Candyman’ – an ominous supernatural figure – while researching urban legends and folklore in one of Chicago’s housing projects… and accidentally summons him. A multi-layered, spine-tingling supernatural horror that sheds light on race and class inequalities, making tangible the sense of fear/threat that is often felt by society’s most disempowered.
Candyman (2021)is a direct sequel to the 1992 film, set almost 30 years later. It’s another fantastic watch that further develops the mythology around The Candyman as well as the issues raised in the original film for a contemporary audience and puts Black characters at the story’s centre.
X (2022)
Everything Mia Goth does is worth watching in my opinion, but if you haven’t come across her work before, X is a film to prioritise. Goth stars as Maxine, a young woman staying overnight in a small, rented farm building with a group to friends who plan to make an amateur erotic film. She also performs the role of Pearl, the farmer’s elderly wife who is grappling with her old age and continues to experience intense desires despite her aging body. When Pearl encounters beautiful Maxine in her farmhouse, a violent chain of event ensues…
Disturbing and gory, X raises thought-provoking points on aging and desire, particularly in relation to women and their bodies.
And if you have time to spare, the prequel, Pearl, was released earlier this year, starring Goth as Pearl in her younger years!
Suspiria (2018)
1970s Berlin, ambitious women and witches… need I say more?
A remake of the 1977 classic, this version of Suspiria features Dakota Johnson alongside Mia Goth and Tilda Swinton. At a world-renowned dance school, Suzy (Johnson) is accepted and quickly rises to the role of lead dancer. However, the lead dancer she’s replaced suffers a psychotic break and accuses the school’s directors of witchcraft – but what lurks in the school’s underground chambers may prove her sanity…
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
For fans of classic gothic literature, Mike Flanagan’s 8-epsiode series inspired by Shirley Jackson’s novel is one to rush home to watch if you haven’t already.
In a truly haunting dual-timeline supernatural plot, a family struggles to move past horrifying events that forced them to leave Hill House over twenty years prior. If you love a huge gothic mansion, deep-rooted family drama and eerily inexplicable events, you will love this.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro’s iconic film (predating The Shape of Water by eleven years), Pan’s Labyrinth is a surreal Spanish-language film that unfolds like a horrifying, visually striking fairy tale. Set five years after the Spanish Civil War, the film centres on Ofelia, a young girl whose mother has recently wed a brutish Falangist captain. Lured by an elusive (and terrifying) faun, Ofelia escapes her harsh reality into a mythical world – whether it is real or Ofelia’s own dark fantasy is left to the viewer to decide. A strange and unsettling watch that deals with the loss of innocence and learning to survive on your own in a world that seems cruel. Horror with a touch of magic!